Just another lifestyle truck, or would this be the real deal?
CarsGuide in Australia got word directly from Kia that the company is developing a purpose-built pickup truck which will debut in 2022 or 2023. This is not a rebadged Hyundai Santa Cruz, which has a similar market aim as the Honda Ridgeline. Nope, this is supposed to be a proper pickup truck.
It’s not coming to our market — yet.
For now, Kia is designing the model solely for the Australian market. Still, other vehicles have been designed for the Australian market and eventually found their way to the United States. It’s a question of demand and Kia’s return on investment. Remember, this truck is going to compete with the Aussie-versions of the Ford Ranger among others. The competition alone will get consumer’s attention worldwide.
Is it possible that Hyundai/Kia are aiming at a one-two punch with two completely different types of pickup trucks? Seems likely now. Kia Australia’s Chief Operating Officer, Damien Meredith was recently interviewed by Cars Guide Australia about the upcoming vehicle.
CarsGuide had more from Kia Australia’s COO Damien Meredith. “Work has begun,” he said. “We’re talking about a dual-cab, a single-cab – what we’ve requested is the full gambit for the ute, and that (includes) a dual-cab with diesel and petrol (options).”
(Photo: Kia)
Many of us at TFLtruck and TFLcar are impressed with the leaps and bounds Hyundai-Kia has managed over the past few decades. The possibility of having them fight in the midsize pickup world is very appealing, especially given their quality and content to price ratio. This could be a very good thing for our market – IF they sell them here. At this point, there’s no official word from Kia on that.
What do you think?
